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Beamer
A beamer is a laser weapon of small arms size. Most lasers of this small size are Resonance Lasers or Chemical Lasers, with some in later times being Fusion lasers. The resonance lasers work by shooting lasers that carry resonance energy that adjusts based on the frequency of the target, essentially vibrating it until its atomic structure falls apart. Chemical lasers simply apply immense heat to the target to the point of rapid vaporization. Of the two, chemical lasers are considered the more powerful, as resonance lasers have trouble getting through even basic armour. The latter, fusion lasers, are far more powerful than either variety. Beamers are rarely the standard-issue weapon of any army, and at the very most share this role with coilguns. The two weapons are often used in tandem, supporting one another. How this mutual support is used or understood depends on the military doctrine of the army using it, and varies greatly. Compared to coilguns lasers are even more accurate and precise, have even longer range (though they are direct-fire, and cannot arc over obstacles as coilguns can), and greater armour penetration (though worse materials penetration, and can be countered by Ablative Armour plating). Their rate of fire is also significantly lower. In addition they do not require ammunition, being an entirely self-contained weapon charged by the sun (though soldiers sometimes do carry spare charges). Even if they do not score direct hits on a target, they are so bright that they can sear the retinas of unprotected enemy soldiers, rendering them blind and effectively neutralized. At nighttime however, this brightness can become a liability, and the batteries have to be charged through other means than the sun, usually by plugging it into the squad's IFV or APC for a time. History and Usage While it took lasers some time to become the dominant weapon of space warfare, lasers were used from the very first records of galactic history on the ground. Prior to the military development of combat lasers, early civilizations probably used lasers for industrial applications and mining. From these applications, which often involved precision cutting, cladding and welding, the basis for combat lasers was laid and soon enough were issued in vast numbers as people were quick to recognize the merits of lasers as an efficient means of destruction. Types of Beamers Generally, beamers follow the same pattern as Coilguns but differ in other ways. Pistols Beamer pistols are the more common among militaries as they do not entail a soldier having to carry extra ammunition in addition to another weapon. Compared to the larger beamer types pistols are somewhat more delicate and early models are more prone to overheating and malfunction. Their charge capacity is also lower, though little energy is lost compared to a rifle. Unlike coil-pistols they also do not suffer from low range or poor accuracy. Carbines Beam carbines are extremely small and light, even compared to their coil-counterparts, and issued to mechanized infantry, who often fight from their transport vehicle's passenger section's firing ports, as well as carbines being convenient for when soldiers need to dismount the vehicle. Carbines are small and light, and easily used inside of buildings, and are overall an effective and flexible weapon. Battle Rifles Beam battle rifles are immensely powerful, essentially more rugged and overcharged carbines, capable of melting hard armour into a superheated liquid and burning flesh to a shriveled crisp. Often, a squad will have at least the designated marksman armed with a battle rifle. Beamer battle rifles are capable of causing great damage to light and, in concentrated fire, medium vehicles such as infantry carriers, unlike their coilgun counterparts. Machine Guns Laser-based fully automatic weapons are less common than coilgun varieties because they are often much less effective in this regard than coilguns in infantry combat scenarios as well as being unreliable. However, heavy beamers do exist, mostly as vehicle-mounted weapons or for aircraft like drones and gunships. Multi-lasers Multi-lasers are the beam equivalent of an autocannon. They are often used as anti-aircraft weapons and in later eras as point-defense on tanks and starships, with great capacity as an anti-personnel weapon too. Category:Weaponry Category:Small Arms